Signal.



A. M. LANE.

SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED 020.1. I913.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

- A. M, LANE.

SIGNAL. V

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-1,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

6 RECORD 5777/?7'50 igz'Z'ieeia'ea- REMHRKL ALFRED M. LANE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

Application filed December 1, 1913. Serial No. 803,872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. LANE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signals of the type comprising a mechanical trip device controlled by an electro-magnet.

The invention comprises both means for giving a sensible signal or alarm and means for preserving a permanent record thereof.

The object of the invention is a signal device adapted for a household burglar alarm, police call, alarm or signal telegraph system, railway engine cab signal, and any emergency signal or alarm system, whether or not a permanent record of its operation is desired.

Other objects of the invention have to do with the parts and arrangements and mechanical constructions of the embodiment thereof hereinafter described, and illus trated in the accompanying drawings; and the invention is particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which the same reference characters are used throughout the several views to designate like parts,Fig ure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying the invention, the casing being shown in cross-section with its front half removed to disclose the working parts within; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section on the longitudinal axis of the device; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same, the casing being shown in cross-section with its rear half removed to disclose the parts covered thereby; and Fig. 4: is a view of a fragment of a record strip, illustrating its use as a tell-tale device.

Only the portion of my invention relating to the electro-mechanical device for producing the sensible signal is illustrated in the drawings, as the electric circuits for con trolling the device will be sufficiently understood by persons familiar with electric signal and telegraph systems from the description thereof hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawings, the device shown therein consists of a base 10 provided with front and rear parts or standards 11 supporting a rotatable wheel or circumferentially flanged disk 12, provided with a circular series of cylindrical chambers 13 with their axes parallel to the axis of the disk and spaced at equal distances apart in its circumferential flange. The perimeter of the wheel is provided with a series of projections or escapement teeth 14, with which an oscillatable escapement lever 15, having two pawl arms 16, 17 and an operating arm 18 is adapted to cooperate. The extremity of the operating arm of the escapement lever is fitted with a soft iron armature 19, and an electro-magnet 20 is arranged with one end of its core in proximity to the armature, whereby the passage of an electric current through the electro-magnet will cause the end of the operating arm of the escapement lever to swing toward the electro-magnet. A coil tension spring 21 is secured at one end to the end of the operating arm opposite the armature and at its other end to a post 22 fixed to the base 10, whereby the escapement lever is returned to its original position following the cessation of the electric current through the electromagnet. Adjustable stops 23 on the rear standard engage the operating arm of the escapement lever in its extreme positions and limit its oscillatory movements. The free ends of the wire constituting the coils of the electro-magnet are led to the binding posts 24L which are mounted on the base 10 and to which the line wires of a suitable electric circuit may be connected, as is more fully described hereinafter.

The chambered wheel 12 is loosely journaled on the shaft 25, which is mounted for rotation in the standards 11. The upper portion 26 of the front standard is removable, to enable the parts carried thereby to be assembled. The wheel is driven by means of a spring motor consisting of a spiral spring 27 secured at its inner end to the shaft 25, and at its outer end to the inner face of an annular flange 28 of a disk 29 loosely journaled on the shaft 25 within the chambered wheel. The flanged disk 29 constitutes a casing for the wheel driving spring. The hub 30 of disk 29 is provided with gear teeth adapted to mesh with the teeth of a spur gear 31 mounted on a stud v axle 32 journaled in the upper portion 26 of the front standard. This spur gear meshes with an internal gear 33 formed on the inner face of the peripheral flange of the chambered wheel. A non-cylindrical socket 36 in the end of the shaft 25 provides a means for receiving a wrench for winding the spring. A ratchet 3 1- is secured on the outer end of the shaft 25, and a pawl mounted on the upper portion 26 of the front standard engages this ratchet and retains the spring from unwinding.

The parts are so arranged that winding the spring in the direction indicated by the arrow on the ratchet 34 (see Fig. 1,) will cause the chambered wheel to be rotated in the direction of the arrow thereon, as shown in Fig. 1, whenever the escapement leyer is actuated. The wheel will rotate through one tooth space for each complete oscillation of the escapement lever.

The chambers 13 of the wheel are adapt ed to receive cartridges 37 containing an explosive charge adapted to be detonated by the impact of a firing pin 38 slidably mounted in a transverse hole through the rear standard 11 in alinement with the uppermost chamber in the normal position of the wheel. A coil spring 39, located in a counter-bore in the back end of the hole, tends to withdraw the firing pin from contact with the cartridge, to where a stop pin 40 carried by the firing pin brings, up against the inner shoulder of a counter-bore at the front end of the hole, whereby the firing pin is normally retained with its forward end in proximity to but spaced slightly from the rearface of the wheel. An annular record strip 41 is arranged on therear face of the wheel, covering the cartridge chambers, and intervenes betweeen the eartridge in position to be fired and the firing pin so that the forward movement of the pin to detonate the cartridge will perforate the record strip. Pins 42 on the rear face of the wheel, serve to position the record strip angularly with respect to the wheel, and insure its rotation therewith. The record strip may be divided by printed circles and radial lines for notations to suit the particular system of which the signal device forms a part.

The firing pin is adapted to be struck by a hammer 44, loosely mounted on an oscillatable spring shaft 45 journaled in brackets 46 on the rear side of the rear standard. The hammer has a tail at? adapted to be engaged by one of a series of circularly spaced pins 48 carried by a disk 49 fixed on a shaft 50 journaled in brackets 51 on the rear standard. In the device illustrated, there are half as many pins 48 as chambers 13. The shaft 50 is rotated simultaneously with the wheel 12 by means of a bevel gear 52 carried by the Wheel and meshing with a bevel gear 53 fixed on the shaft. The bevel gears have a two to one ratio, whereby the shaft 50 is rotated at twice the angular velocity as the Wheel. The pins 48 are so spaced on the disk with respect to the tail of the hammer that, upon the rotation of the wheel through one tooth space of the control of the train despatcher,

escapement, first, the tail of the hammer is engaged by a pin and moved to cook the hammer, and, nearly at the end of the movement of the wheel, the tail of the hammer rides over the pin and the hammer is released. The hammer is thrown back against the firing pin by a torsion coil spring 54 secured at one end to the bracket 16 and at the other end to the shaft 15. The other end of the shaft 45 from the spring carries a two armed rocker 55, one arm of which is adapted to engage the tail of the hammer and drive the hammer toward the firing pin. The other arm of the rocker brings up against a stop 56 on the bracket 46 and relieves the hammer of the pressure of the spring in its normal position. The momentum of the hammer drives the firing pin against the cartridge and fires the latter at the end of the movement of the wheel.

A casing 58 is provided for the working parts of the device to prevent tampering with the mechanism or record. The casing is secured to the base by clips 59 engaging over the bottom flange 60 along the rear edge of the casing, and a bolt 61 and padlock 62 cooperating with the bottom flange 63 along the front edge of the casing. The side walls of the casing embrace the base and assist in retaining the casing in place. A hole 64 is made opposite the firing point through which the products of the explosion can pass directly into the atmosphere outside the casing.

The signal device is to be arranged in circuit with a source of electric current and a contact make and break device. Upon closing the circuit the escapement lever will be oscillated toward the magnet, thus permitting the wheel to rotate part of a tooth space, and upon breaking the circuit the magnet core is demagnetized, and the escapement spring returns the lever arm to normal. position, whereupon the wheel moves through the remainder of the tooth space. The cocking and tripping of the hammer occurs during the second motion of the wheel, following the breaking of the electric circuit. This construction enables the device to be used. with either an open circuit or a closed circuit alarm system.

The provision of the record strip adapts the device particularly for emergency use, and for signal telegraph systems wherein a permanent record of the number of times the signal has been operated is desired. For example, the device may be placed in the cab of a locomotive in circuit with a battery and a circuit closer which is located in proximity to the track and adapted to be tripped by devices alongside the latter under the towerman, or automatic railway block signal apparatus, in case the train runs into a closed block.

The tripping devices may be spaced along the track so as to operate the cab signal every one thousand feet, for example, and the record strip will then afford an accurate record of the number of thousand feet the train runs after the tripping devices are set to give the emergency signal in the cab. The record strip and working parts of the signal operating device being under cover and locked up from the engineer prevent their being tampered with, and the record strip being removable by the person in possession of the key, it may be produced in court or other place in case of investigation into the cause of a wreck, or other mishap, due to failure of the towerman to set, or of the engineer to obey, a stop signal. The record strip is also useful in police call systems as a check upon a patrolman who fails to respond to a call sounded by the signal device.

The invention is not restricted to the particular form of device shown and described, and its use is not restricted to the particular uses above enumerated.

WVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a signal device, a rotatable wheel a mechanism responsive to outside control or controlling the movement of said wheel, means for producing a signal by the movement of said wheel, a removable record mounted on said wheel, and means co6perating therewith for recording thereon the number of signals produced.

2. A signal device comprising a rotatable wheel, cartridge chambers in said wheel, a firing mechanism associated with said wheel whereby cartridges in said chambers may be successively exploded, and means movable with said wheel and adapted to be mutilated by the exploding of the respective cartridges whereby a record of the number of actuations of the firing mechanism is permanently preserved.

3. A signal device comprising a rotatable wheel, cartridge chambers in said wheel, a firing mechanism associated with said wheel whereby cartridges in said chambers may be successively exploded, and a perforatable member associated therewith and movable between said chambers and firing mechanism in position to be perforated by the actuation Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the of the latter, whereby a record of the number of actuations of the firing mechanism is preserved.

l. In a spring operated device, a shaft, a spiral spring wound on said shaft and having its inner end fastened thereto, a casing for said spring rotatably mounted on said shaft, the outer end of the spring being fastened to said casing, a drum rotatably mounted on said shaft and inclosing said spring and easing, reduction gearing for driving said drum from said casing, said reduction gearing being housed within said drum, an escapement mechanism for said drum, and impact means operated from said drum.

5. In a spring operated device, a rotatable shaft, a spiral spring wound on said shaft and having its inner end fastened thereto, a casing for said spring rotatably mounted on said shaft, the outer end of the spring being fastened to said casing, ratchet and pawl mechanism for holding said shaft against backward rotation, means for rotating the shaft to wind the spring, a drum rotatably mounted on said shaft and inclosing said spring and casing, reduction gearing between said casing and drum, an escapement mechanism for said drum operating independently of said ratchet and pawl mechanism, and means operated by partial rotation of said drum for producing intermittent blows against its edge.

6. In a signal device, a rotatable wheel constituting a housing for a spring motor and having a circular series of chambers adapted to receive explosive charges, a spring motor arranged within said wheel for rotating it, mechanism for normally retaining said wheel against rotation, firing mechanism for detonating said explosive charges, said firing mechanism comprising an impact member, and means for actuating said impact member from said wheel.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 28th day of November, 1918.

ALFRED M. LANE.

Witnesses:

AMAsA M. HOLCOMBE, M. A. SHEL'roN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

